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Some laboratory studies have found that under laboratory housing conditions, gerbils may develop a stereotypic digging behaviour. An example of this would be digging at the corner of the plastic housing container despite there being no material to move from the plastic. Changes in the housing parameters such as vastly increasing the housing size or the provision of natural substrates such as sand or soil has been shown to prevent this stereotypic digging behaviour. This behaviour often develops in juveniles. It has been shown that the provision of housing with burrows or a tiered tunnel structure can help to reduce this behaviour.

Some studies have found that under laboratory housing conditions, gerbils may develop a stereotypic digging behaviour. An example of this would be digging at the corner of the plastic housing container despite there being no material to move from the plastic. Changes in the housing parameters such as increasing the housing size or the provision of natural substrates such as sand or soil has been shown to prevent this behaviour. This behaviour often develops in juveniles. It has been shown that the provision of housing with burrows or a tiered tunnel structure can also help to reduce this behaviour.

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Gerbils are a social species and in the wild group sizes range from 2 to 15. There is usually only one actively reproductive male and female per group. The formation of new groups can be problematic when introducing adults to one-another due to issues of dominance and it is much better tolerated when introducing new juveniles to one-another. Adults will display strong xenophobic reactions towards unfamiliar animals including grinding their teeth and lashing their tails.

Gerbils are a social species and in the wild group sizes range from 2 to 15. There is usually only one actively reproductive male and female per group. The formation of new groups can be problematic when introducing adults to one-another due to issues of dominance and other animals are much better tolerated when introducing new juveniles to one-another. Adults will display strong xenophobic reactions towards unfamiliar animals including grinding their teeth and lashing their tails.

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Flagellated protozoa such as ''Giardia'' and ''Tritrichomonas'' are commonly found colonising the intestines of the gerbil. However, these protozoa are commensals and naturally occurring and therefore are usually not associated with any clinical signs. Overgrowth of these protozoa can lead to disease. Identification of these protozoa can be performed by faecal examination for cysts.

Flagellated protozoa such as ''Giardia'' and ''Tritrichomonas'' are commonly found colonising the intestines of the gerbil. However, these protozoa are commensals and naturally occurring and therefore are usually not associated with any clinical signs. Overgrowth of these protozoa can lead to disease. Identification of these protozoa can be performed by faecal examination for cysts.

====Tapeworm====

====Tapeworm====

The tapeworms ''Rodentolepis nana'' (dwarf tapeworm) or ''Hymenolepis diminuta'' can cause dehydration and diarrhoea. ''R. nana has a direct life cycle and has the potential to infect humans if ingested.

The tapeworms ''Rodentolepis nana'' (dwarf tapeworm) or ''Hymenolepis diminuta'' can cause dehydration and diarrhoea. ''R. nana'' has a direct life cycle and has the potential to infect humans if ingested.

===Enteritis===

===Enteritis===